


3 words, 8 letters

by aurawinterrain



Series: TsukiKage Week 2020 [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Awkward Kageyama Tobio, Break Up, Future Fic, M/M, Mentioned Yamaguchi Tadashi, Not Canon Compliant, Oblivious Tsukishima, Pining, Post-Break Up, Tsukishima Kei Being an Idiot, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings, kageyama is a good friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:48:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24074719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurawinterrain/pseuds/aurawinterrain
Summary: "I hate you.""Nah, you don't. You love me."When Tsukishima gets his heart broken into two, but it's okay, because Kageyama is there to fix him up again. Kageyama will always be there.
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Tsukishima Kei, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Series: TsukiKage Week 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1730206
Comments: 3
Kudos: 216
Collections: The King and the Commoner





	3 words, 8 letters

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to base this off 8 letters by Why Don't We, but it kind of got carried away describing Tsukishima's recovery process so I guess it's not exactly following the song.

“I hate you.” Tsukishima muttered under his breath as he brushed past Kageyama, after the match had ended. 

“I thought you said you didn’t care about losing against me.” Kageyama had this stupid smug smile on his face, and he would do anything wipe it off his face. He scoffed, taking a swig out of his bottle of water. 

“A commoner like me wouldn’t have won against the king, anyway.” He hissed, disappointed when all the reaction he got was a small flinch at the taunt. 

His first impression of Kageyama was just the same as everyone else on the team - he was ridiculously talented, and his game sense on court almost tricked you into thinking that he was  _ actually  _ intelligent, even when off court he was anything but. His passion for volleyball was what scared tsukishima at first, since he had a particular distaste towards people like Kageyama and Hinata. What was worse was his attitude, though he had clearly mellowed out since middle school. Still - it didn’t lessen his distaste of the setter one bit. 

What surprised everyone, and even Tsukishima himself, was how close they actually became over the three years in Karasuno. He found himself tutoring Kageyama more than he would like to admit - well, the team  _ needed _ that idiot anyway. Besides, Yachi could only handle so much dumbness without feeling overwhelmed. So, he stepped in and proposed that he tutored Kageyama, since he was the less annoying one. Between that and volleyball practice, he found himself around the setter a lot more. 

If it was his past self, he would have tried to either murder Kageyama or himself at the thought of spending most of his time at school together with kageyama, but the more he got to know about the setter, the more he found himself dropping his guard and defences. After they got elected as vice captain and captain, the time they spent together increased, and it was undeniable that they had a weird kind of chemistry. On court, their game sense combined often brought them victory, and even though they never won nationals, they made their way up to top four. 

Before they knew it, they were moving up to university. At first, Kageyama was scouted by thousands of teams, and he could have easily chosen to forego higher education with the amount of money he would be making by going pro. 

“So which team are you going to join?” tsukishima asked one night, when the both of them were set on clean up duty. 

“... I was thinking of going to college first. I have received scholarship offers as well.” Kageyama mumbled, placing the last volleyball into the basket. 

“College? Why?”

“Why- are you shocked that I want to put myself through more exams? Well, you could say, I have another goal I’m working towards. It’s… less of a goal, more like a person.” He had this soft smile on his face when he said it, and it was almost as disgusting as the smug smile he often wore. Tsukishima shrugged, not thinking much of his words back then. Looking back at it, it was almost like a confession, he realised. 

So, when he pushed the gym doors open and found Kageyama already practicing serves, he wasn’t that surprised. 

“We ended up in the same college, huh.” He offered Kageyama a small smile, which the setter returned. 

“Yeah, guess you’ll have to suck it up and deal with me for a few more years.” 

“I hate you-” Tsukishima said, but there was no malice behind those 8 letters. 

“Nah, you don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t have tutored me through high school.” Having nothing better to say, tsukishima merely picked up a volleyball and tossed it to Kageyama. 

“Come on, my receiving still needs some work.”

-

University was a whole other experience for Tsukishima. His initial hopes of going through the four years smoothly was shattered in the second week of orientation. Somehow, he had ended up with Kuroo as his orientation group leader, and the middle blocker was more than pleased to have his disciple join the same school as him. 

“Tsukki! So you  _ did  _ chase after me after all, I’m touched.” 

“Tch, don’t flatter yourself. This university is well known for their volleyball  _ and  _ their grades, else I would have not chosen to come here.” 

“Aw~ I know you love me, Tsukki.” 

At that point, the blonde would admit that he did have a sort of crush on Kuroo. If not for him, he would not have found his passion in volleyball, he thinks. Kuroo was patient too, contrary to what some people might think. 

He had cornered tsukishima in his last year at Nekoma, after their match at Nationals. Tsukishima had pushed him away, saying that they were too young for things like that and what about their age difference? Besides, they were both guys, and he wanted to focus on his studies - he pulled out excuses left and right to reject Kuroo, but at the end of everything, he asked if Kuroo would wait, and if he could, he would let him know if he was ready to try. 

After seeing how persistent Kuroo was, Tsukishima was finally able to coax himself to let his walls down and allow Kuroo access to his heart. It was okay for a few months, but nothing in their relationship really changed besides Kuroo being extra affectionate and needy at times, especially if he was stressed. And for once, Tsukishima could see the allure of being in a relationship. 

It felt nice to have someone to turn to when he ran into problems, and it certainly felt nice to fall asleep next to a bundle of warmth next to your body. So, he really wasn’t expecting the break up, not at all. The events of that night still seemed blurry to him. Even now, Kuroo didn’t explain himself, nor did he provide any excuse for wanting to break it off. He gave weak reasons like “I can’t do this anymore.” and “I think you deserve someone better than me.” But he never really explained  _ why. _

With that, his relationship - his first taste of love - came to an abrupt stop. What was worse, was how naturally Kuroo moved on, but for Tsukishima, it felt like he was stuck in the past, unable to fully move on. It affected him more than he would like to admit it did. The first night that Kuroo left, he trashed his dorm room, and for once he was glad that he chose to stay in a single dorm instead of sharing it with a dorm mate. His initial reaction to Kuroo’s flippant attitude as he broke it off was anger, so he could only take it out on the items around the dorm. 

When the anger wore off, that was when the reality of his situation finally sunk in, and he found himself wishing that everything was just a dream, that Kuroo would come back in and tell him that it was just a sick joke. Hours passed, and it became clear that he was just dumped. The next morning, he woke up curled up on the couch, framed photos of the few dates that they had been on scattered around him - the photo frame was destroyed, and there was glass everywhere. 

From then on, he tried to pick himself back up, going on with his life, attending volleyball practices and paying attending lectures like nothing actually happened. Yet, there was something missing - he never felt like he was fully whole after Kuroo left. Perhaps what made it worse was how fast Kuroo moved on. By the next week, he was clinging on to Kenma, saying things that he had once said to Tsukishima. He felt sick when he realised how he was just played, just tossed aside like an unwanted toy. 

“..shima! Tsukishima! Oi!” He blinked, coming back to reality when someone jabbed him in his stomach,  _ hard _ . 

“Ouch, what the hell was that for, King?” He scowled at Kageyama, who had a concerned expression on his face now. 

“I said, why are you gripping the net so tightly like that? Aren’t you going to keep it in the storage room?” 

“Yeah, just zoned out for a second there. Sorry.”

“You  _ actually _ said sorry? What’s up with you these days? You’re not acting like yourself.” 

“Yeah well, I just got dumped, so sorry I’m not my usual annoying self. That’s good news for you though, isn’t it? You don’t have to hear my insensitive insults for a while.” Tsukishima couldn’t help but blurt out, then brushed past Kageyama, dragging the net behind him. 

“You got  _ dumped _ ? You mean Kuroo-”

“Was a lying bastard and I should have known better, yeah. I know.” 

“That was not what I wanted to say…I, just-”

“You don’t have to say anything, King. I know you can’t relate because your head is filled with volleyball, and I really should be paying more attention to my grades than I am, but right now I’m really not doing well up here, so if you would just… let me deal with this myself-”

“Why should I let you deal with it yourself.” 

Tsukishima turned around so quickly he was surprised he didn’t get whiplash. 

“Right now Yamaguchi is in another school. Your brother is back in Miyagi, but you’re stuck here in Tokyo. Kuroo is in the same volleyball team as you, and you still see him around campus. Who else do you plan to depend on? You’re not as strong as you think you are, tsukishima. Depend on me.”

“You really are a king, dictating who I should rely on for me.” Tsukishima spat out, but it was hard to sound angry when he had tears welling up. He knew Kageyama was right, he had been planning on dealing with it himself, but seeing how his grades were slipping, and how his performance in volleyball wasn’t up to his normal standards, he was clearly failing. 

If even someone like Kageyama could tell that he was struggling - he was doing worse than he thought he actually was. Kageyama crossed the distance between them in three huge steps, and wrapped his arms around Tsukishima in a warm, comforting hug. His first instincts were to push him away - he was never good with physical contact - but something about Kageyama’s embrace drew him in, leaving him wanting more. The setter was stroking his back gently, while the other hand was resting on his waist, and he never felt more at  _ home  _ than he did in that moment. So, he allowed himself to relax, dropping the net and leaning his head against Kageyama’s shoulder, letting himself break in his arms. 

-

Getting over Kuroo wasn’t easy - like what Kageyama had rightfully pointed out, they were in the same volleyball team. That meant, seeing Kuroo at practices three times a week. That also meant, seeing kuroo  _ together  _ with Kenma three times a week. The first few months were tough, and even after Kuroo had left university to enter the working world, he still felt like the ghost of Kuroo was still following him around - his few months with Kuroo gave him more than enough memories to haunt him for a lifetime. Yet, with Kageyama’s help, he was able to slowly let go of the relationship, until he was able to look at himself in the mirror, proud and tall, and tell himself that he was over it. 

He even invited Kuroo out for a drink, thanking him for letting him know what it was like to be loved, even if it was short lived. Kuroo had the decency to look apologetic, and Tsukishima somehow found it in him to wish him and Kenma the best. 

“I’m sorry, Tsukki. We just weren’t compatible, you know? Besides, you have someone better than me by your side. Someone who’s been following you quietly for 5 years, now.” Kuroo said, cocking his head towards Kageyama, who was not so secretly listening in to their conversation a few tables away. 

“Kageyama?... But we’re just friends…” 

“We started off as friends too, Tsukki. Don’t let my asshole behaviour hold you back from trying out a relationship again. This time, I promise you, it won’t end in a tragedy like us.” with that, Kuroo paid for both their drinks and left, but not before reminding Tsukishima to open his eyes and see for himself who has been by his side all this time. 

-

“Oi, King. You have a crush on me, don’t you?”

“Wha-me?! What the hell, where did you get  _ that _ from.” Kageyama let out a nervous chuckle, taking a huge swing from his bottle. It resulted in him choking on water, and Tsukishima was worried he had actually murdered Kageyama before he got to hear his answer. 

When the setter could finally breathe again, he wasn’t sure if his cheeks were red due to exertion, or because he was embarrassed. 

“I don’t have a crush on you-”

“Then look at me in the eye and tell me that.”

“... You’re being unreasonable. Look, do you still want to practice or not? I have to study for a test-”

Tsukishima grabbed Kageyama’s collar, much like the time when they first met, just that their roles were reversed the first time. “Just answer me, _ Kageyama _ .” 

Kageyama gulped nervously, turning to look at Tsukishima slowly. “Yeah, I kinda do have a crush on you. But I know how you feel about being in a relationship and labels, so I won’t force you into anything if you’re not ready. That is, if you like me back.” 

Tsukishima paused, letting Kageyama go and taking a step backwards as he tried to piece his own thoughts together. He wasn’t expecting Kageyama to just admit it like that, and for Kuroo to actually be right this time… 

“I… well…”

“You don’t have to give me an answer now. We can take things slow for now, okay? Like I said I don’t want to force anything on you, but I also don’t want things between us to turn awkward.”

“... Yeah, okay. Who knows? I think you actually have a pretty good chance of capturing my heart, King.” 

-

Kageyama was strangely persistent for someone who looked like he only ever cared about volleyball, and before he knew it, he was dating the setter. But, there was one problem - he couldn’t bring himself to say ‘I love you.’ It was so simple, just eight letter, so why couldn’t he bring himself to say it? Perhaps it was the implication of those three words - he had said it so carelessly to Kuroo before, why was it so hard for him?

Kageyama had seen him through some of his worst days, helped him get over the relationship that he thought he would never be able to let go. Still, he found it hard to believe that Kageyama would not do like Kuroo did - even if he knew that it was practically impossible. Some irrational part of him was still scared that Kageyama could still drop everything and leave, especially since he was playing pro now. 

“What’s on your mind, Kei?” Kageyama nudged him gently, jolting him out of his thoughts. He turned to look at Kageyama, wondering if it was okay for him to tell him about all the insecurities running through his mind.  _ If I want to do it, _ he thought.  _ I might as well do it now…  _ Kageyama deserved to hear those words more than anyone, he knew that. Still, what if one day he finds someone better than himself, someone who would devote all their time and love to be with him? 

“Hey, I know that look. It’s the look of you overthinking again. You’ve been doing this often, come on. Tell me what’s wrong.” Kageyama sat down on the couch, and pulled tsukishima down next to him. 

“I won’t judge, I promise.”

“... I love you.” tsukishima whispered, so softly he was scared that Kageyama wouldn’t hear it. 

“... What? I couldn’t hear that, could you please repeat it?” One look at Kageyama’s smiling expression and he  _ knew  _ that he did, and was just teasing the blonde now. 

“I hate you, I really do.” He laughed, shoving Kageyama away.

“No you don’t, if you did, you wouldn’t have stuck with me through University.” Kageyama grinned, lifting up Tsukishima’s left hand. 

“And one day, when you’re ready, I’ll make you mine forever, so you’ll have no choice but be stuck with me for your entire life.” He said softly, kissing his ring finger. Tsukishima blushed, burying his head in Kageyama's chest. 

_ But you know what? That actually didn’t sound too bad.  _


End file.
